Irbid Jan. 27 (Petra) - Minister of Social Development Wafaa Bani Mustafa said volunteering constitutes a fundamental pillar of sustainable development and a key element supporting government efforts to achieve social solidarity, enhance community participation, and build effective partnerships with civil society institutions.

She made the remarks while patronizing a celebration organized by Al Farouq Society for Orphan's Care on Tuesday in Irbid, on the occasion of winning first place in the Al Hussein bin Abdullah II Award for Voluntary Service, in its third edition, for the "Orphan Sponsorship" initiative, in the presence of several supporters, representatives of partner entities, and representatives of several civil society institutions and the voluntary sector in Irbid Governorate.

Bani Mustafa expressed her pride in this achievement, which embodies a long journey of organized institutional voluntary work spanning 35 years.

She said the win represents recognition of a noble vision that believes in the value of volunteering and its developmental impact, adding that since its establishment, Al Farouq Society has presented a model to be emulated in humanitarian work, transitioning from the concept of traditional care to sustainable development work that enhances the empowerment of target groups and creates a real impact in society.

She praised the society’s developmental role, which is not limited to relief and care activities, noting that this distinction reflects the importance of planning in voluntary work and the shift from individual efforts to institutional work based on governance and transparency.

Bani Mustafa stressed that the Al Hussein bin Abdullah II Award for Voluntary Service represents an important national milestone for entrenching a culture of cooperation and promoting volunteer initiatives, stemming from the belief that volunteering is a fundamental pillar of social development and community participation, recalling in this context the vision of His Royal Highness Crown Prince AL Hussein bin Abdullah II in supporting volunteering and youth empowerment.

She underlined that the Ministry of Social Development fully believes in the importance of organized voluntary service based on partnership and governance, noting that the ministry is completing a project to classify associations in cooperation with relevant bodies. She explained that the classification aims to evaluate associations objectively, support active associations, encourage emerging ones, and assess their performance and achievement of objectives.

She added that this year will witness the classification of the first group of societies, which will be linked to a package of incentives and advantages, contributing to positive competition, improving performance efficiency, and ensuring fairness in directing support. She noted that the Associations Support Fund and ministry assistance will rely on these standards in allocating support, enhancing sustainability and encouraging associations to develop their performance and services.

For his part, President of the Al Farouq Society for Orphan's Care Hussein Al-Hawari said the society developed gradually, step by step, until it became a charitable institution with tangible impact and a model of sustainability, governance, institutional commitment, and closeness to the people. He affirmed that this achievement reflects the society's belief that serious civic work is an essential partner in development.

He added that the society was honored during its journey with the Silver Jubilee Medal awarded by His Majesty King Abdullah II, considering it a milestone that strengthened confidence in the role of civic and institutional work in serving society.

The ceremony included the screening of a short video on the society's achievements in various programs, a national artistic segment presented by students of the society's schools, and the honoring of a number of supporting entities.

//Petra// AF